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Bois, John, 1561-1644 (biblical translator)

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1561 - 1644

Biography

John Bois (1561-1644), biblical translator, was born in 1561 at Nettlestead, Suffolk. He was taught Greek and Hebrew by his father, early protestant and scholar William Bois, and read the bible at the age of five. He attended Hadleigh Grammar School whose master, John Still, was also master of St John's College, Cambridge. This may have helped Bois' application to St John's at age 14. He graduated BA in 1579 and MA in 1582. Following this he lectured and studied until becoming a priest in 1588, after which he became rector at Boxworth, Cambridgeshire. Bois married a Miss Holt, daughter of the previous rector, in 1597 or 1598 and they had four sons and three daughters, only two of whom survived him. The most outstanding aspect of John Bois' legacy is the notes that he made during the discussions relating to the formation of the 1611 King James Bible. His notes were long thought lost but copies have surfaced in Cambridge and London; on the whole they describe the scholarly discussions over meaning in the original text. Bois moved to Ely in 1628 where he died in 1644.

Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:

 Fonds

Correspondence concerning the deposit of the diary of John Bois [Boys] at Cambridge University Library

 Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0012/MS Add.7194.I
Scope and Contents

John Bois (1561-1644) was a biblical translator whose main legacy were the notes that he made during the discussions relating to the formation of the 1611 King James Bible. This correspondence concerns the attempts to establish provenance of a diary of John Bois, attempts to find a suitable institution to hold it and its eventual donation to the Cambridge University Library by Louisa Howes.

Dates: 13 Mar. 1835-10 May 1881
Conditions Governing Access: Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).
 Fonds

John Bois: Diary

 Fonds
Reference Code: GBR/0012/MS Add.3856-3857
Scope and Contents

Original diary and transcribed extracts.

Dates: 1627-1850 (diary dated 1627 to 1640, transcription dating from 1850)
Conditions Governing Access: Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).